Best Starting Tracks to a Record All-Time..
 

I was thinking about this today on the Metro, what are your lists for best intro/opening tracks to the best records? I'm talking songs that kicked in the fucking door and paved the way for a musical onslaught of an album from start to finish.

Here's my top-6 in no particular order..


Serve of the Servants- In Utero
Start Together- The Hot Rock
Pattern Recognition- Sonic Nurse
Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener - Volume IV
Untitled- Turn on the Bright Lights
Brown Sugar - Sticky Fingers

All of these records kicked my ass, and their opening tracks were the first blow that bewildered me into some kind of sonic haze, totally not knowing what comes next or what to expect. They perfect set the tone for what the album is going to sound and feel like.

--The kick drum at the start of "Like a Rolling Stone," initiating HIGHWAY 61 Revisited. Kinda tired of the rest of the song, but there's something timelessly amazing about the first three seconds.

--Every Sleater album. "Start Together" is a good one, but so is the riff to "Call the Dr" or "Dig Me Out" or "The Fox," etc.

--"Headmaster Ritual"

Yes, its like the sound the inner workings of that brain make when the gears come to a grinding halt from the intensity that is Vol IV (hence why its called Wheels of Confusion).


How could I forgot Dig Me Out, that song kicks teeth in! It was the first S-K song I ever heard, and I was hooked.

"Tom Violence"

X-Your Phone's Off the Hook, But Your Not- Los Angeles

Stooges- Down on the Street- Fun House

Pixies- Debaser-Doolittle

The Clash-Clash City Rockers- S/T

Tv On the Radio- I Was A Lover- Return to Cookie Mountain

Here's some of my personal favorites I know some of these bands are hated by a few on here but fuck it.

Faith No More- Land of Sunshine- Angel Dust

I Wanna Know About U- Survival Sickness- The International Noise Conspiracy

I love "Gouge Away" and its one of my favorite Pixies songs, so certainly an argument can be made for that, but I love it as the closer track to Doolittle as well.

Oh yeah. "Safe European Home"

Maybe even just the first two seconds, the snare hit sounding like a bomb going off.

A coupla so not hip choices but fuck y'all.

Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen. Fuck what an incredible song.
Welcome To The Jungle by Guns N Roses. It's overplayed to hell, but hearing that track for the first time blew me away
Scissor by Liars

Teen Age Riot
Search and Destroy
TV As Eyes
The Modern Dance

purple haze
kill the poor
rise above
tonights the night
new york state of mind
things done changed
bring da ruckus
so what
love comes in spirts
uh-oh love comes to town
white light/white head (RIP LOU)

On my cassette, LP and CD copies of, 'Are You Experienced,' "Foxy Lady" is the opening track......?

Some of my favorites:

Five Years - 'The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars'

Black Celebration - 'Black Celebration'

Open - 'Wish'

on my cd its "purple haze"

Clash City Rockers isn't on the first Clash album. Maybe you have some kind of made for dumb Americans version. Janie Jones is the first (fantastic) track.

Yeah. Reminds me: "100 Years." Also, the one that starts DISINTEGRATION.

Yeah, that's the US release starting w/ Clash City Rockers.

It's how I learned the album as a wee 13 year old American and it's still the way I prefer the album. Admit it, Clash City is a better opener than Janie Jones (which is all the way on the second side on the US release).

The Clash is still The fuckin' Clash, so regardless of which version does it matter? I don't think the album was "dumbed down" for Americans.

Here´s some of mine:
Velvet: Sunday Morning
the Who: Armenia City in the skies
Stones: Gimme Shelter
Beefheart: Lick My Decals Off, Baby
Birthday Party: Zoo Music Girl
Sonic Youth: Schizophrenia
Wigwam: Losing Hold
Jehtro Tull: Aqualung
Led Zeppelin: Good Times Bad Times (All first five Zeppelin albums start great)
Nomeansno: It´s Catching Up
Dr. John: Gris Gris Gumbo Ya Ya
Tom Waits: Lucky Day (overture)
Jimi Hendrix Experience: And the Gods Made Love

Purple Haze is first track on the original US-version, Foxy Lady on the original UK-version. Well, Purple Haze is first track in both US & UK versions of Smash Hits although the tracklist is different.

I had no idea there were different song listings for, 'Are You Experienced.' Searched it out on Google / Discogs and the biggest difference is on the American / Canadian release. Also, on something called the 'Arthur Douglas' series???

Get this: there is a Polydor version from 67 that doesn't even include, "Purple Haze."

......just when you THINK you know an album.


Yes Yes Yes Yes and Yes!


'Wish' is what I would play while getting ready to go clubbing back in the day. Open, High, From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea, Letters To Elise and finally, End = it was time to go!


A few more favorites:

My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue) - 'Rust Never Sleeps'
Subdivisions - 'Signals'
I Love You In Your Tragic Beauty - 'Crushed Velvet Apocalypse'

I think their first album wasn't released in the US until after Give Em Enough Rope and they included some extra tracks and rearranged them. To me it'll always seem strange not starting with Janie Jones because that's what I've always known.